Trade Union VS “Georgian Manganese”

Marika Vacharadze, Zestaponi

Trade Union of Georgia, Trade Union of Metallurgy and Mining Entrepreneurs of Georgia went on two-hour warning strike in Zestaponi and Chiatura. The workers of the enterprises subordinated to the Georgian Manganese Ltd – Zestaponi Ferro Factory and Chiatura Mines - went on strike from 12:00 to 2:00 pm on April 20. The reason of the protest was grave working conditions in the enterprises. Short time ago, people were fired from those enterprises for their cooperation with the Trade Unions.

2 800 employees of the Zestaponi Ferro Factory had their labor agreements expired on March 31; however, the factory administration refused to continue the agreements only with four of them. Two of the four were not considered to be the employees of the factory; one of the remaining two was the board member of the Trade Union of Mining Entrepreneurs, worker of the 4th workshop Giorgi Giorgidze; the second one was the head of the weighting division Shakro Bregvadze; he is also father of the active board member Goga Bregvadze. 

Goga Bregvadze is the member of the Trade Union whose family members and relatives were persecuted by the Zestaponi Ferro factory after the Trade Union of Metallurgists and Mining Entrepreneurs was established in Imereti region. The chairperson of the Trade Union of Georgia petitioned to international organizations regarding this issue.

Chairman of the Trade Union of Metallurgists and Mining Entrepreneurs Tamaz Dolaberidze said firing of these people because of their membership in the TU is not doubtful. “Both of them are perfect professionals and none of them were in the age of being retired. On March 25, I personally wrote letter to the director of the factory Vishnevski and warned him that his refusal to prolong the labor contract with the TU members would be renovation of the early persecution. Of course, we would have corresponding reaction on this fact.”

The TU of Metallurgists and Mining Entrepreneurs was established last year. Before and after that so-called “yellow trade union” has been functioning at the Georgian Manganese Ltd. This TU signs documents which breach the rights of the employees instead protecting them.

The strike on April 20 was warning and unless their requests are satisfied in near future and the fired people are recruited back, the TU will start larger-scaled protest.

On April 10 and 11, 2010 TU of Metallurgists and Mining Entrepreneurs of Imereti region invited the administration of the Georgian Trade Union and chairman of the Georgian TU of Metallurgists and Entrepreneurs Tamaz Dolaberidze to the session of the employees of the Georgian Manganese Ltd. At the session they had to discuss the context and dates of the protest activities scheduled by the TU for the problems in the enterprise. Member of the Trade Union Committee of the JSC Energy Invest Vladimer Dvalishvili also attended the session.

Since the TU of Imereti unifies 617 employees of the Zestaponi Ferro factory and Chiatura mining factory and these organizations are too far from each other,  two sessions will be organized: at 5;00 pm on April 10 – in Zestaponi cinema house; and at 10:00 am on April 12 in Chiatura Culture House.

At 4:30 pm on April 10 about 25 participants had already arrived at Zestaponi cinema-club. Goga Bregvadze recalled: “The car of the administration was standing nearby; the driver of the monitoring department of the Ferro factory Gia Dugladze was standing near the car and he was informing his employer about the situation outside the cinema-club. The metallurgists, who were standing close to Dugladze, said later that he had told somebody on the phone – Goga Bregvadze and his several companions have come to the place. This fact had no results at that moment; the meeting was held and participants decided to go on strike from April 30.

On April 11, at 10:00 am, miners and representatives of the Trade Union were speaking near the Chiatura culture house when green jeep drove into the yard. The car drove round the culture-house and left the area. Several minutes later, the car appeared again and stopped 10-12 meters away from the people and started to take photos of them. The leaders of the TU approached the car, opened the door and saw three men sitting in it. The man, who was taking photos, was head of security guard of Chiatura factory Davit Tsereteli, the second was his driver and the third his deputy Amiran Iobashvili.

As soon as the TU representatives opened the door, Tsereteli started speaking in loud and insulting tone. He told them they had no right to arrive in Chiatura “you had to stay in Tbilisi”. Tsereteli also said the TU members confuse miners who finally lose jobs. The members of the TU explained to Tsereteli that they had right to organize similar meeting and nobody has right to plan weekend for other people. After that, Davit Tsereteli called police by mobile phone and reported – certain people from Tbilisi have arrived in front of the Culture House and they caused public disorder there. However, accidentally he dialed wrong number and police did not arrive. The TU members called on Tsereteli to change the conversation tone. In reply to it, Tsereteli grabbed the collar of one of the leaders and pulled him aside. He wanted to provoke the men. In parallel to it, about 40 miners joined the TU members and Davit Tsereteli disappeared together with his companions. During the session, which lasted three hours, strangers looked into the hall several times and checked the situation. One of them found vacant place and attended the main part of the session. Later it was found out that he was employee of economical security department within the Chiatura mining factory. In the hall, he was holding mobile phone and supposedly audio-recording the meeting.”

On April 20, about 200 people joined the demonstration. They requested recruitment of the dismissed workers and reimbursement of the missing hours for them. They also had list of ten requests: they wanted increase in their salaries; introduction of the modern systems of security; reimbursement of the additional working hours according to different tariff, reconstruction of the medical center and prolonged vacations.

Director General of the Zestaponi Ferro factory Aleksandre Vishnevski made comment about the protest demonstration “the demonstration is politically motivated and is not caused by social problems. I am ready to meet and negotiate with these people; however, separately with each of them. It will be no problem if they refuse to work in the conditions we offer to them. We have received a lot of applications of people who want to start work in our enterprise.”

There were people among demonstrators who protested the requirements of the TU. They blamed Goga Bregvadze in provoking the situation. Bregvadze said they would fight until all their requirements are satisfied. The demonstrators will wait for the decision and concrete proposals of the administration within the next 24 hours. In the extreme situation they will use other forms of protest.